Heat of the Moment
by x.SodeNoZangetsu.x
Summary: When Rukia comes home with a sunburn, it's up to Ichigo to make her feel better. But when things begin to cross the line between friends and something more, a heartfelt discussion ensues about each other's feelings; including how they feel about the other. Re-post.


**Wow, I haven't written anything since November and I haven't written anything Bleach for over a year! Ugh. Well, I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things this summer and so I decided to start by just revising a few of my older pieces. I gotta get the juices flowing again if I hope to write something completely new this summer; especially a multi-chaptered story. Anyway, reviews are always appreciated. It'd be nice to know I haven't lost my touch. –crosses fingers-**

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.:Heat of the Moment:.

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He told her to be careful with what she wore. He warned her about what could happen if she wasn't careful. He even showed her how to protect herself from it. But did she take any of his warnings to heart? Of course not. Now, here she was, lying stiffly on his bed complaining about how it hurt. He wanted to tell her he told her so. He wanted to laugh at her. But he knew what kind of pain she was in. He knew how much it could hurt, how annoying it could be, how it limited what you could wear. That's why he didn't say anything. That's why, instead, he had gone to the store just to buy her medicine.

He remembered how much it had hurt when it had happened to him. He, unlike her, had it a bit easier since he could go around without a shirt to keep from disturbing it. She on the other hand wasn't so lucky in that department. He remembered the pain. And now that she had it, it brought back memories to him. Even though it wasn't him this time, seeing her writhing around on his bed moaning made him hurt just as much. He hated seeing her in pain.

At least she didn't have the problem of it clashing horribly with the color of her hair…

XxX

"Ichigo! I'm going over to Orihime's for the day!" she yelled up to him that morning.

"The whole day? What are you guys doing?" he had asked back.

"We're just having a girl's day out. Tatsuki and a couple girls from school are coming as well. We'll probably go out to lunch, shop, and then stop by the beach."

"Somehow I can't see you doing any of those things…" Ichigo said. The thought of the girl in front of him shopping and trying on new clothes made him cringe for some unknown reason. All of the above just seemed so un-Rukia-like.

"What, just because I'm a shinigami means I can't act like a girl?" she asked.

"Yeah, pretty much."

She left him that morning lying on the floor nursing a bruised shin.

XxX

He had been watching TV when she arrived home that night. He heard the door slam and could tell something had happened. He had expected a Hollow had interrupted her day of fun. What he saw when he turned around shocked him a bit, but it wasn't surprising.

"Rukia is that really you?" he asked, a joking tone in his voice.

"Don't be a smartass Ichigo," she snapped back. "Why didn't you tell me this would happen?"

Yep, Rukia had gotten sunburned and it was literally all over. Every inch of skin Ichigo could see was red. A raw, painful red.

"Um, hello? I told you all about sunburns at the very beginning of the summer! But were you listening? Apparently not."

"You could've at least reminded me this morning!"

"Hey don't go blaming all this on me! I find it hard to believe that Orihime or Tatsuki didn't warn you. Didn't they bring sunscreen?"

Rukia averted her eyes to the floor. "I didn't think it would be this bad…" she mumbled.

She stayed quiet for a minute before speaking again.

"Tatsuki did warn me about getting sunburned before we left this morning, but it was cloudy so I thought I wouldn't get burned. We got to the beach and by then the sun was out, but we were only going to stay there for two hours. I didn't know it would happen in that short amount of time, so I didn't put any on."

Ichigo got up off the couch and approached her to get a better look. He confirmed once he was standing in front of her that she was definitely burned all over. Her face, her neck, her shoulders, legs… Ichigo was sure it was probably everywhere her swimsuit wasn't. He sighed.

"Did anyone else get burned?" he asked.

"Orihime and Chizuru got a bit pink, but nothing like me…"

She looked up at him and Ichigo was surprised to see traces of tears in her eyes.

"Ichigo it hurts," she whispered. "Every time I move, my shirt and shorts rub up against it."

"Yeah, I know how much it can hurt. I got sunburned really bad last summer. Unfortunately I could go around without a shirt and you can't…"

"Isn't there any kind of medicine?" she asked him. "I can't stand this pain. I already tried healing myself with kidou at Orihime's but it didn't do anything."

"Well, there is this lotion that soothes the burns and will reduce the pain, but it won't make it go away any faster," Ichigo said.

"Do you have any?"

Ichigo gave her a sympathetic look. "Unfortunately we don't."

Rukia groaned. "Great… So I'm just gonna have to live with this pain?"

Ichigo felt sorry for her. He knew it was partially his fault because of his lack to remind her this morning or at least call Orihime up and tell her to explain it to Rukia since she apparently didn't listen to him. It was in his nature to take the blame for everyone else's pain and Rukia was no exception.

"Here, we'll go up to my room, you can borrow one my shirts and shorts so they won't rub against your skin as much and then I'll run to the store and get you some of that lotion," he explained to her.

"The pain will go away?" she asked.

"Well, not permanently, but it should make it go away for the night," Ichigo told her. "Is that good enough for now?"

Rukia nodded and they went upstairs to Ichigo's room. Rukia flinched each time she took a step, but she didn't ask Ichigo for any help. There wouldn't have been much he could've done anyway. Carrying her wouldn't have made it any better. He'd still be touching her skin.

Ichigo went to his dresser and pulled out his Nice Vibe t-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts. He told Rukia to change into them while he ran to the store. Rukia nodded again and with that confirmation, Ichigo dashed out the house, onto his bike, and peddled as fast as he could to the store.

When he got there, he didn't even bother locking his bike. He ran through the aisles attracting many looks from the other shoppers. Ichigo paid no attention to them. He didn't care if he looked like a fool, he was in a hurry. He finally found the aisle where they kept all the lotions and medicine, grabbed the biggest bottle he could find, and then ran back through the store to the cash registers.

Bag in hand, Ichigo peddled back to his house. He knew not to leave Rukia alone for too long when she was in pain. He learned from experience that that was a bad idea. When she had gotten a sprained ankle after landing on it funny during a Hollow fight, Ichigo had left her home alone the next day while he went to school. Rukia had been looking through the house for painkillers and instead ended up taking several sleeping pills. Ichigo arrived home that day to find her passed out on the couch. He had freaked out thinking she was dead and called the emergency line. Let's just say when she woke up in the hospital two days later, Ichigo wasn't very happy with her.

He finally got back home and dashed back upstairs to his room. He walked in and found Rukia lying flat on her back on his bed, eyes closed and moaning. Worried she had taken more "painkillers" he ran over to her.

"Rukia?" He asked, afraid to touch her.

Thankfully she wasn't passed out and was just trying to sleep in hopes the pain would disappear.

"Did you get the stuff?" she asked.

Ichigo managed to give her a small smile as he pulled the bottle of aloe out from the bag.

"Do you want me to do it?" he asked.

He was ready to help her, but knew Rukia was very independent and tried not to accept help from people whenever she could. So when she answered yes, Ichigo was thoroughly surprised for the second time that day.

"Are you sure?" he repeated, just to make sure she hadn't had a slip of the tongue.

She answered yes again and Ichigo caved in, feeling proud she was finally accepting help from him.

"I guess we'll start with your arms," he told her.

She sat up as Ichigo pulled his desk chair up to his bed. He sat down and opened up the bottle. Rukia watched with an uncertain look on her face as a pile of liquid gel was placed on his hand.

"Will it sting?" she asked while chewing on her lip.

"It shouldn't," Ichigo told her. "I don't really remember it hurting when I was burned."

"Give me your arm," he said.

Rukia slowly held out her right arm. She shut her eyes and bit her lip as Ichigo prepared to touch her with the liquid. When it finally came in contact with her skin, Rukia flinched not because it stung but because it was cold.

"It's freezing!" she gasped as Ichigo slowly began working it into her shoulder.

"It's supposed to be so it soothes the burn," he said. "You'll get used to it. I promise."

Rukia watched in fascination as he rubbed it into her arm. It was soaked right up and already, Rukia could feel her pain subsiding.

Soon, both her arms and legs were done. All that was left was her back, front and face.

Wait… her front? Ichigo reddened at the thought of rubbing lotion into Rukia's chest and stomach. Her back he could handle, all she had to do was lift the back of her shirt up and face away from Ichigo. But in order to do the front of her…

She'd have to take her shirt off.

"Ichigo are you alright?" she asked after watching him sit there staring at the liquid in his hand.

"Uh yeah! I'm… I'm fine!" he lied. "What do you want me to do next?"

"I guess my back."

Ichigo breathed out a sigh of relief. Good, he didn't have to worry about doing her front yet.

"Okay, just turn around and lift the back of your shirt up," he ordered her.

Still moving stiffly, she slowly turned until she was facing away from him. She reached behind her and lifted her shirt up until Ichigo was staring at her bare back. Well, minus the bra strap wrapped around her. Ichigo felt his face heating up again. Why couldn't she have just kept her bathing suit on underneath?

Trying not to think about what he was doing, Ichigo placed more aloe in his hands before placing his hands on her back. Rukia stiffened at the contact – whether it was from the cold or the feeling of his hands on her back, Ichigo didn't know.

Sweating for some unknown reason, Ichigo began working the gel into her skin. It was then Ichigo noticed just how red she really was. She may have actually been burned more then Ichigo had been a year ago. He could only imagine the pain she had been feeling earlier.

"You're really good at this Ichigo," Rukia said out of nowhere.

"Um, thanks?" Ichigo wasn't quite sure how one could be good at rubbing lotion on someone else.

"I mean you're really gentle," she added as if she knew Ichigo was confused. "It feels nice."

As Ichigo continued to rub the aloe into her back, Rukia spoke up again.

"So, how did you get burned last year?"

"Same as you," he replied. "I was at the beach with my friends and in typical teenage fashion, thought I'd be okay without sunscreen."

"How long does it last?" she asked, shuddering as she felt Ichigo's hands run down her back.

"Depends on the severity of the burn. Judging by how red you are already, I'd say at least a week."

"Does it just go away?"

"When it begins to heal, your skin will start peeling, then, gradually it turns to a tan."

"I'm gonna peel?" Rukia exclaimed, turning around to face him.

"Like a snake," Ichigo chuckled.

"Great," she huffed.

Ichigo just smirked before asking, "Anywhere else you need this?"

"My chest and stomach," Rukia answered, a slight blush tinting her cheeks.

"Y-You sure you don't want to do this?" Ichigo stuttered, holding the bottle out to her.

"I like it when you do it, Ichigo," she said, her blush deepening.

By now, Ichigo's face nearly matched hers in color.

"O-Okay…"

He tried to divert his eyes from her bra as she pulled his shirt over her head, but damn was it hard. When Rukia looked back up at him she laughed at his expression, though she was sure hers was pretty similar.

"Jeez, Ichigo, Yoruichi was right; you are shy around girls!" she teased, trying to get the atmosphere in the room back to normal.

Ichigo's blush reddened if that was even possible. He couldn't help it. He had never had a girlfriend and never even hung out with any on a regular basis. Until Rukia came into his life, the only female contact he had had was with Tatsuki, who was nearly like a boy herself sometimes, and scarcely with Orihime. And now here Rukia was, on _his_ bed, wearing only _his_ shortsand a bra. At least this threw any thought of being gay out the window.

"It's just… I-I… It just feels weird; wrong even," he finally managed to reply, looking away from her.

"You feel like you're taking advantage of me?" Rukia guessed.

God, this girl could read his mind.

"Kinda," Ichigo mumbled.

Rukia surprised him by laughing. "Look Ichigo, if I _want_ you to do something, that doesn't mean you're taking advantage of me you know," she told him.

Ichigo didn't say anything and kept his head turned. Rukia's eyes widened as she came to a realization.

"This really bothers you, doesn't it?"

"You think?" Ichigo huffed. "Is it so hard to believe that I've never had a half-naked girl sitting on my bed before?"

"Ichigo, it's not that big of a deal," she started when Ichigo cut her off.

"Damn it, Rukia!" he yelled, the bottle of aloe being slammed down on his desk. "It _is_ a big deal! It is a big deal when you're sitting here like this because I like you, alright?"

"W-What?" Now it was Rukia's turn to stutter.

"I like you, as in like-you-like-you, more than a friend, whatever kind of thing. How am I supposed to act when you're sitting here with just a bra and my shorts on?" Ichigo said.

"Happy, elated?" she guessed.

Ichigo groaned. "You don't get it, do you?" he asked. "I've never felt this way about anyone; I've never been this close to a girl, both figuratively and literally, before. I just—."

"Ichigo!"

"What?"

Rukia turned his head so he was finally looking at her again. She smiled as she leaned into him.

"Shut up, okay?"

When he looked like he was about to speak again, Rukia rolled her eyes before pressing her lips against his. Ichigo made a sound of surprise, but the longer it lasted, the more Ichigo began to give in. Her lips were so inviting, so soft. He couldn't hold it in anymore and kissed her back, even daring to make the kiss more passionate as he did so.

All too soon, Rukia pulled away and smiled at Ichigo's shocked expression, made complete by his ever-prominent blush.

"R-Rukia…" he stumbled. "Why did you…?"

She simply shrugged and, giving him a cute smile in return, answered, "Guess I got caught up in the heat of the moment."

"Cute," Ichigo quipped, a bit of his usual demeanor returning finally.

Rukia chuckled before speaking again.

"Look, Ichigo, I appreciate that you're so modest when it comes to a girl's body, but if I want you to do something, then it's not going to make you a bad person," she told him.

"You won't realize what you let me do tomorrow and kill me, will you?" he questioned, almost being able to see the scene that would take place tomorrow morning.

"Not tomorrow, or any other day," Rukia promised. "Did you ever once think that perhaps I'm asking you to do this because I 'like-you-like-you, more than a friend, whatever kind of thing' too?"

Ichigo smirked as he listened to her repeat his phrase word for word. "Really?" he asked.

"Really," she responded. "Now," she reached for the bottle of aloe behind him, "…I'm still in pain, and I would like _you_ to make it go away. And hurry up, I'm tired and would like to go to bed."

Knowing now that he was only complying with Rukia's wishes, Ichigo took the aloe from her and carefully squeezed more into his hands. His hands hesitated for only a second as they neared her bare stomach, but once he was touching her, nothing had ever felt more right. Well, aside from that last kiss maybe.

"You'll make a great husband one day, Ichigo," Rukia said all of a sudden. "You're kind, caring and gentle, although you try to hide it for whatever reason. I'm grateful to have you as a friend and I am going to envy your wife very much."

"Well, what if I want to marry you?" Ichigo said with a grin. "You're going to be jealous of yourself?"

Rukia laughed. "Now _there's_ the old Ichigo we all know and love," she said, although there was another blush present on her face.

A silence passed between them as Ichigo finished up her stomach, but before he grabbed the bottle of aloe again to begin on her chest, he stopped and just looked at her. His soft, amber orbs swept over her as he contemplated something in his mind. Rukia began to feel hot under his gaze, but had to admit she liked the way Ichigo was looking at her. There was a sense of longing in those eyes of his, a sense of need and even, dare she say it, love?

"What?" was all she was able to get out as Ichigo blinked and his eyes returned to their normal, indifferent look.

"You know," he began. "I think I'm gonna go back on my word."

Rukia raised an eyebrow at him. "Meaning…?"

"I don't think I like you, Rukia. I think I'm in love with you."

She couldn't help the shiver that ran down her as he spoke those words. However, she smiled and pulled Ichigo down to her close enough to where their noses were touching, but he wasn't hurting her sunburn.

"Well I'm _fairly certain_ that I'm in love with you, too, Ichigo," she whispered, soon followed by a laugh as Ichigo blushed yet again.

"Good," was all he supplied back as a response before leaning down to claim her lips with his own.

As Rukia went to wrap her arms around Ichigo's neck, the only thought running through her head at the moment was that if getting sunburned meant hearing these kinds of confessions from Ichigo and receiving this same kind of treatment from him, she might have to consider getting sunburned again in the future.

She flinched as Ichigo touched her shoulder lightly and reconsidered. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea after all…

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**Hope they weren't too out of character at the end. Thanks for reading and hopefully this means I'm back!**


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